Ontario SP50: “Hall of Fame Survivor” by Nutnfancy

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Also nice is the Ontario Knife 6526 Bushcraft Woodsman Knife:

The SP50 strikes a perfect balance in a large woods blade: it’s not too heavy but its 23 ounce weight provides excellent all around wilderness performance. The full flat ground quarter inch thick 5160 steel drop point blade brings tears of happiness to my eyes. It is distal tapered, has great sweep and belly, and a strong tip. It splits big ‘ole logs with force and has wedge-like authority in the wood. The SP50’s almost 9″ blade de-limbs, hacks, and even digs (!) with competency. The back spine is sharp enough for fire steel use and can hammer some too. The SP50 was tested thoroughly in both temperate and artic conditions and performed without flaw. Bigger, heavier blades might do some tasks better but they are a bit harder to pack up to high elevations using “man portable” systems. You might thank Ontario Spec-Plus upgrader Dan Maragni for the upgrades in the line. Great care was used in the creation of the blades: water jet cut WCI-brand US-made 5160 steel, industrial hardening, specific grind geometries, vacuum stress relieving, and laser imprinting. It’s a lot of quality at this price point. It arrives sharp from the box too and held its edge impressively through testing. The Kraton handle absorbs shock, does not transmit cold, and is durable. It features a prominent guard on the bottom only; the lack of jimping and thumb ramp on this sized blade is a forgivable miss. The MOLLE sheath is a big improvement over the Spec-Plus Gen 1 series and is lightweight and waterproof. It still has the loose-fitting thermoplastic liner that Ontario frequently provides (easily rectified as shown in the vid) and a well-made Kydex or thermoplastic sheath would catapult the SP50 up to new levels of awesomeness. The SP50 could flex into the combat blade category where it could do de-limbing of a different sort…like the bowies of old (and new!), it remains a formidable weapon. But like others in the series, its real calling lies somewhere out in the wild when it helps you create fire and perhaps emergency shelter. Its value as of 2011 is outstanding: expect around a $75 price tag at the sources I recommend in the video. I suspect with this review the SP50 will deservedly become all time best seller for Ontario so orders yours when you see it. At that price you might even want two and you won’t even feel guilty for giving the SP50 the hard use it was designed for. This is one of the coolest large blades Ontario has ever produced.

Nutnfancy Likability Scale: 5 out of 5